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Australia has partnered with the United States and Japan to significantly boost infrastructure investment in the Indo-Pacific region as China continues to spend billions of dollars on its initiative "Belt and Road" in Asia.
Part of a broader effort by the United States and its allies to reaffirm their influence in the Pacific as the region is increasingly sensitive to diplomatic pressure from Beijing.
But the decision was announced with a minimum of detail. Australia, which has reduced its foreign aid budget in recent years, will head to the new partnership.
The announcement comes a month after the Turnbull government announced that it would jointly fund the construction of a submarine telecommunication network for the Solomon Islands. Islands, a project initially attributed to the Chinese company Huawei.
Last year, Nick Warner, who heads the intelligence agency The Australian Secret Intelligence Service reportedly warned former Solomon prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, against the US intelligence agency. Huawei's involvement in the submarine cable project
. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
"We share the conviction that good investment flows from transparency, open competition, sustainability, The world's strongest belt and road is a multi-billion dollar infrastructure initiative that is transforming much of Asia and the Pacific, increasing China's geostrategic influence and driving up nations will become dependent on them for investment. [19659002] Julie Bishop, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the partnership would address development challenges, increase connectivity and promote economic growth in the region
"This trilateral partnership recognizes that more support is needed to strengthen peace and prosperity. The Indo-Pacific region, "she said,
few details were announced on the policy.
It is unclear how much Australia plans to contribute to the partnership, nor whether the foreign aid budget will increase A spokesman for Bishop said that these details would be developed in the months to come, when an official memorandum of understanding was drafted
Jonathan Pryke, director of the Pacific Program of the Lowy Institute, said that Australia had not made many concessional loans across his help program, but Japan had.
"It would be logical for Japan to take the lead on this front and use the skills it has already acquired." While taking advantage of the resources of the United States and Australia, he said : "But the question is what resources?" We have no clue about the size of this thing. "The language seems to be a counterpoint to the Belt and Road initiative, but this initiative is valued at hundreds billions of dollars in the Indo-Pacific region, so this announcement raises more questions than it replies. "
The Labor Party welcomed this decision, saying that Australia has "dropped" the Pacific region in recent years by cutting its overseas aid of nearly $ 12 billion to its lowest levels in history.
Penny Wong He said earlier this month that Australia needed to increase its investments in the Pacific as China strengthened its assertiveness in the region.
Wong said the world "is rethinking the best way to work with the United States." was also disrupted by "more sustained structural changes in the world", including the relative relative economic weight of the United States and China.
Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China has "shown more and more"
In one of the most important moments of China's affirmation, Australia s & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; Is opposed to the militarization of the South China Sea by China The reports of the Chinese Navy challenging Australian warships have led to warnings that she might seek to close the area to strengthen her claim Territorial, which was rejected by the Hague Arbitral Tribunal.
The Minister of Trade and Investment, Steve Ciobo, He stated that the new trilateral partnership was "absolutely" not a challenge for the & # 39; Chinese initiative Belt and Road
"We want to make sure that Australia is very active in the developing economies of the region and other countries. there is a part of the huge demand for infrastructure, "he told Sky News
with Reuters on
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